Beauty and the Beast - a VA fanfic
by NB313
Summary: Retelling a classic Disney story with a VA twist! Follow the tale of how Beauty met and finally set the Beast free. This is meant to be a full story, but wont be rushed. Part of the VA does Disney Project spear-headed by Gigi256.
1. Prologue

**PROLOGUE**

 _Tale as old as time…_

 _Song as old as rhyme…_

 _Beauty and the Beast…_

 ***From Beauty and the Beast***

 **YEAR = 1450**

 **Near the border of Wallachia and Moldavia**

There was a time when this world was a very different place. It was full of magic and strange creatures. In the beginning – when there weren't that many humans – these mystical, magical beings were revered and feared – given God-like status by the few humans that were around at the time. But as the human population bloomed and spread across the four corners of the world, these strange creatures felt compelled to retreat to the shadows and isolate themselves from most of mankind.

Despite the various legends and stories, the truth was there were three types of vampires that belonged to this hidden world – Moroi, Dhampir and Strigoi.

 _Moroi_

Were sensitive to sunlight, needed at least one meal of blood (human or animal) per day for sustenance, had heightened senses, were fast and had the ability to command one of the five elements. Because of this, they were lithe and mostly docile. It was within this sub-class of vampires that the thirteen 'royal' families, that governed the vampiric nation, came from – including the elected High King or Queen. If you weren't born into one of these thirteen families, you ended up living a life of a serf – either farming, trading or sailing in servitude to the governing 'king' or 'queen' of your region. The type of blood Moroi consumed depended on their status – poor serfs could only afford animal blood, while the royal families were not only able to keep and maintain regular 'human feeders', they could also indulge in the occasional Dhampir/Moroi subject.

 _Dhampir_

If the Moroi were the 'brains' the Dhampir were the 'brawn' of the vampire world. Each royal Moroi family had their own 'Dhampir army' and these armies were made up of the offspring of either a Moroi/Dhampir or a Moroi/Human union. It was very rare for Dhampir/Dhampir or Dhampir/Human relations to produce an offspring, though it had happened once or twice. Since these creatures were only half vampires they didn't need to consume blood on a regular basis – though some did before a big battle to boost their strength and heighten their senses. They also had no issue with sunlight. These half vampires were strong and fast, which was why they were perfect as the 'warriors and protectors' of the vampiric nation. Most Dhampir's had no command of magic, but some (usually the product of a Moroi and Dhampir coupling) discovered latent abilities to magic that would burst forth when the 'right' environmental factors came into play.

 _Strigoi_

The vampiric nation viewed Moroi vampires as being 'alive' and therefore classified Strigoi as the 'undead' because they could only function on blood and couldn't handle sunlight, as it turned them to ash. Strigoi were exceptionally strong and fast, but due to the nature of their existence they were very pale and had blood red irises. There were two ways to become Strigoi – (1) a Moroi would fully drain the blood of a person (doesn't matter what 'species' they were) and in the process be seen as consuming the 'soul' of their victim; (2) a Strigoi kills a 'living' being (again doesn't matter if they are vampire or human) and replaces their blood with its own which awakens them to a Strigoi state. The first method was responsible for creating Strigoi 'clan leaders', where an originator parent would be responsible for a 'Strigoi lineage'. The second method created Strigoi 'children' because they were sired by a Strigoi. Naturally all Strigoi clans could be traced back to a Moroi that got greedy & drank too much or coveted power & purposefully drained a being in cold blood. Some hypothesised that if an 'originator parent' of a lineage was killed then the entire clan would also perish but since no one had achieved this, most believed it to be a myth.

Interaction with humans over the years became more restricted and less frequent until it fell into one of two categories – Bloodwhore/Feeder or Alchemist. In the end they were either willingly providing blood/Dhampir offspring to the Moroi or they were part of a guild that worked with the various mystical creatures to keep the rest of mankind oblivious of this hidden world.

Of the thirteen royal Moroi families, twelve were very active and prominent members of the vampiric nation. The one family that wasn't, the Belikovs, chose to live in a secluded kingdom and preferred to shun the outside world.

Our story focuses on this family.

King Randall Belikov and Queen Olena Belikova were conservative Moroi – they didn't believe in the notion of using their powers to fight alongside the Dhampirs. Even though they were fair and just rulers, they were elitists which was why they isolated themselves and their subjects from the broader world – in their eyes no one else was good enough to associate with. They were blessed with four children – one son (Dimitri) and three daughters (Karolina, Sonja and Viktoria).

Being the only son and heir to the Belikov throne, Dimitri Belikov had it all – power, money and women. It helped that he was rugged, tall and handsome and even though he was a Moroi, he was anything but lithe and docile. He could easily beat the best of the Royal Guard and had the stamina and strength that was rarely seen in Moroi men. And even though he had a good command of the fire element, he preferred to use his muscles and weapons to 'fight' his opponents. Unfortunately, his unique abilities & talents made him arrogant, while his birth right made him self-centred. He considered anyone not part of his family 'beneath' him and treated them just as disdainfully. The older he got, the more spoilt and entitled he became.

Overall, the Belikovs were content in their own little 'bubble' which unfortunately lead to their doom.

On the night of his 21st birthday, a grand ball was held in Dimitri's honour. The eligible ladies of the kingdom were invited to debut to the prince so that he could look at finally finding someone to settle down with. But the prince was in no hurry to tie himself down to one maiden and spent most of the ball drinking and shamelessly debauching the fair and beautiful ladies around him. Meanwhile, outside the Belikov Court, the magical wards – which normally kept out the Strigoi – were being broken by a group of humans who were under the command of a powerful Strigoi. Galina, a once fierce Dhampir General, led this group and knew of the Belikovs and their isolation. Her sire had plans for the kingdom plus she found the prince to her liking.

The Belikov family and their guests were unprepared for the attack.

Countless died or were abducted – to be either fed on later or awakened. Amongst the dead were the King and Queen and two of their daughters – Viktoria and Sonja. The Royal Guard and the Belikov army fought hard and after much struggle – since they had to fight on their own as the Moroi amongst them refused to fight which included a very drunk Prince Dimitri – they finally pushed back the enemy. They knew a part of the reason for the Strigoi withdrawal had been because sunrise was mere moments away and they didn't want to be caught in the sunlight.

As the people mourned and tried to make sense of the chaos around them, the selfish prince, consumed with his own needs, allowed his bloodlust to take control. It had been a while since he had last fed, having spent much of the previous day and night drinking and playing with women. As he staggered around the palace gardens, hiding from the carnage within, he came across an injured Dhampir he didn't recognise. Instead of helping the poor man he decided to indulge in some Dhampir blood and satiate his hunger.

He was in the middle of his feeding when the Dhampir's wife, Sonya – an Alchemist who had been called on to help with the clean-up – found him and it was her despair & anger that fuelled what happened next.

Some Alchemists were blessed with magic, though it wasn't the same kind as the Moroi. For one thing, they could command all five elements and that is exactly what Sonya did as a dark, harsh curse left her lips and attached itself to the prince & a single rose that was nearby.

" _A Prince with a black heart…_

 _A Warrior with a cold heart…_

 _Their souls will search for each other across time and space._

 _She holds the key to his salvation..._

 _But only when he saves her from the darkness._

 _Like 2 facets of a coin, they will be both Beauty and the Beast…_

 _The curse will be irreversible if they don't_ _find_ _each other before the last petal falls…_

 _Or if the Prince gives in to his bloodlust."_

As she uttered the powerful words, the sky darkened with heavy clouds – blocking the sun. By the end of her curse, Prince Dimitri had changed into a Strigoi. Her magic had transformed him, his family and all those who had sworn fealty to the Belikovs. However, as their Strigoism was curse induced and not the usual way, it made them different. For starters they still had their souls – unless they gave in to their bloodlust and took a life. Their change was also not permanent – she gave the prince the chance to redeem himself and his people if he could find the Warrior that would be their salvation.

Before she left with her half-conscious husband, Sonya created a glamour around the Belikov kingdom – the people within could leave and return, but no one from the outside world would ever find them on their own.

As far as the world was concerned, the entire Belikov kingdom was killed in the Strigoi massacre and there were no survivors.

 **A/N This is based in a VA universe of sorts, but some of the 'characteristics' are different, which is why I explained the three types upfront. Naturally the VA characters belong to Richelle Mead but the plot is mine (even if inspired by Disney's Beauty and the Beast).**

 **Before I start getting 'hateful' comments about Dimitri being OOC, please note the following:**

 ***This is a retelling of a Disney story with VA characters, so the characters won't be like their VA counterparts.**

 ***If you haven't figured it out, Dimitri is the Beast, which is why he appears to be a jerk at the start.**

 ***Finally, if you know me and my stories, this will be a Romitri story, but you will need to be patient as this is not a one-shot piece and I don't want to rush the story.**


	2. Chapter 1

**CHAPTER 1**

 **YEAR = 2017**

 **Sydney, Australia**

 _Mama,_

 _More than 500 years have passed since you, father, Sonja and Viktoria perished in that bloody massacre – and I miss you all every single day._

 _I sometimes feel stupid, writing my journal like I'm speaking to you, but it helps me cope because I miss you the most._

 _I miss your voice, your warmth… but most of all, I miss your wise words and unconditional love._

 _I should consider myself lucky that my 'curse' hasn't left me completely alone – I still have some family and our people to keep me company but it's not the same._

 _No one here understands me the way you did._

 _As I sit and write, I can't help but glance at the live feed of the enchanted rose – there is only one petal left. Every 21 years it had shed a petal and each time a petal fell, another layer of despair and bitterness wrapped around me. Over the last 50 years, I had finally accepted there was no chance for my salvation – if we haven't found the 'Warrior' that's supposed to break my 'curse' in the last half a millennia, I doubt we will in the year when the last petal would fall._

 _In our quest to find the 'Warrior', we have been travelling all over the globe for the last 300 years and I knew it wouldn't be safe to be constantly transporting the rose around with us. So, to keep it safe and hidden from prying eyes, I converted one of the small towers in our castle into a storage room and kept the rose under 24/7 surveillance along with a few other objects that still hold some meaning in this depressing existence._

 _Maybe I should just accept my fate and embrace my 'Strigoism' but there is still a small part of me that yearns to be normal again – to walk in the sun and yield my fire again._

 _Currently, we have been coping with our immortality by going after the Strigoi that was responsible for the massacre – not only her but her sire. And if that wasn't difficult enough, we were also hunting our own people who had decided not too long after turning Strigoi that they wanted to embrace their 'new life'._

 _On the whole, it took all of us a while to adjust to our 'Strigoism' – especially the struggle between the bloodlust and our conscious. Most of the family and our people were able to curb their hunger and we have survived on human feeders and animal blood. It's not easy but I guess penance never is._

 _Unfortunately, not everyone agreed with our methods._

 _Cousin Nathan and a few people, who wanted to give in to the bloodlust and gain power, decided to go 'rogue'. Even though they reluctantly accepted me as their 'sire' (after all they became Strigoi because of my 'curse'), they didn't agree with my stance on abstaining from ending lives and accepting the darkness. They left the castle within the first century of our immortality and we hadn't seen or heard of them since._

 _I'm not naïve – I'm sure they have been keeping an eye on me and the others, making sure I haven't come close to breaking the 'curse', which would in-turn take away their Strigoism. I wouldn't be surprised if I seem them soon – if we don't find them first – since this is the final year for the 'curse' to be broken before it become irreversible._

 _I know now what I did wrong all those years ago and I wish I could go back and tell my old self to change and be a better person, but that's not possible. I'm no longer that arrogant, self-centred prince._

 _No, now I'm bitter and full of self-loathing._

 _However, I no longer put myself before others and over the years I have tried to be a better person, because the only light in my unending darkness are the poor people who have stuck by me. People, who are looking to me to restore us back to normal – though over the years that hope and optimism has been dwindling down._

 _The only poor souls who seem to think we still have a chance at redemption is your used-to-be-always-drunk nephew Adrian and your sweet-but-is-wiser-than-most 10 year olds grandson Paul. To this day they still hold a strong belief that our 'saviour' will save us before the last petal falls. About 300 years ago they convinced the entire Court, including me, that it was time to leave our kingdom and venture out into the world._

 _Over the years we have tried to integrate more with the world – well as much as we could in our current Strigoi state. It's hard to gather intel and gain allies when in appearance you resemble like the 'bad' vampires._

 _But after waiting for almost 200 years for our 'Warrior' to come to us, they argued that we could no longer sit idly by and wait for someone to stumble on to us. The world was a big place and our kingdom was not only in an isolated area but was magically hidden by Sonya – so unless one of us was able to find the person and bring them to the palace or they just happen to be in the area and ventured into the kingdom – there was no way for them to naturally 'find us'._

 _I never knew the world could be such an amazing place and I wish you and father were alive to have seen all that we have seen. We still keep to the shadows even though the world no longer fears us in the same capacity as it did back in our day. If anything, there are more 'humans' willing to embrace our world and us due to foolish fantasies and idiotic dreams thanks to a plethora of fictional works out there about vampires – which have mostly romanticised our species and none of which are remotely even close to the truth._

 _So many humans are eager to offer up their necks willingly than run the other way because they are drawn to the idea of immortality and the thrill of living in darkness. They conveniently forget that there is a huge price to pay in terms of needing to kill to survive and that they can no longer remain part of day-to-day society (especially since they couldn't be out in the sun)._

 _I don't know how we have survived all these years, mama, living off a Moroi-like blood-diet, especially since normal food and drink doesn't do anything for us. For these last 500 years, it feels like we have not had a full proper meal – it's a miracle not more of our people have turned 'rogue' like Nathan and his followers._

 _If I had my way, I would walk out into the very next sunrise and end this pathetic existence, but I have to think about the family and people who have stood by me these last 500 years. If I die, so do they and I can't end their lives just because I can't handle mine. So, I will do what a good ruler is supposed to do – put his people before himself._

 _ **They come first.**_

 _I hope you are at peace – where ever you are._

 _I love you._

 _Dimitri_

Dimitri sat back and cracked his stiff neck. He stared at the old, weathered journal before him and wondered for the millionth time why he even bothered to note down his thoughts. It had started off as an exercise to handle his overwhelming emotions, then as a way to feel closer to his mother who he seemed to miss more and more as the years dragged by.

He chuckled bitterly as he stared out of the large window of his bedroom in the penthouse apartment that overlooked the world-famous Sydney Harbour. His curse only allowed him to appreciate the view at night. The military-grade iron shutters kept the sun and view hidden during the day.

Dimitri got up and walked towards the window, momentarily losing himself in the great dark expanse. Sydney may not have been like the other cities he had resided over the years like London and New York, where the humans rarely seemed to sleep, but the twinkling lights of the large buildings gave the impression the city was still bustling with some spark of life. The water seemed to wrap around the city in black waves while hiding its secrets deep within its depths.

Before Dimitri could really lose himself in his dark thoughts, Adrian sauntered in.

"Still brooding away cousin? I thought you were going to join us on the hunt tonight?"

Dimitri felt his stoic mask fall into place – he rarely showed much emotion these days and couldn't recall the last time he had felt the occasion to smile or laugh.

"I was just waiting for Christian to…"

Before Dimitri finished his sentence, his phone went off. Knowing who the caller was, Dimitri answered without checking the screen.

"Christian…"

Adrian watched as Dimitri gave one-word responses to whatever Christian, one of Dimitri's childhood best friends, was saying. Just as Adrian decided to pour himself a drink, Dimitri gave a curt sign-off and ended the call.

"Don't bother pouring yourself a drink, the car is downstairs".

Grabbing his signature black duster, Dimitri was already making his way out the door, causing Adrian to stumble and curse, as he tried to keep up with his long-legged cousin.

A life without meaning is a wasted life, and an immortal life – well, Dimitri and his people had spent the better part of the last 300 years searching for the 'Warrior' and as they continued to fail on that mission, Dimitri focused on a new one. He wanted to avenge his family and people by going after Galina and her sire. He also wanted to bring the 'rouges' back into the fold or at least control them better. It didn't break the 'curse' but Dimitri felt like he was finally doing something good in the world.

Not many Strigoi lived or hunted in Sydney, Australia – too much heat and long days in summer. Which was why Dimitri and his clan had moved to the city 50 years ago – it was perfect because they didn't need to worry about being targeted by unpromised Dhampirs, come across Court appointed Guardians or worry about Strigoi territories. It gave them the chance to do their research, investigation and surveillance in peace.

Christian and Syd, Adrian's wife, had been staking out an underground nightclub in the heart of the city for the last few weeks. Ironically called The Red Room, it seemed to attract all the vampires that either lived or were visiting the city – including a few ancient Strigoi who had felt the same way as Dimitri.

It seemed that the elusive Galina had finally been sighted and Dimitri was determined to not let her slip through his fingers again.

It didn't take long to reach the club but being a Saturday night, it was packed with both humans and vampires. Dimitri and his team knew the bouncer and hostess at the door and were lead in straight away – bypassing the long line of disgruntled and annoyed patrons. They were taken to the VIP section that was reserved specifically for their kind. It was further in the back – away from the loud, thumping headache-inducing music and had all the privacy one of would need to enjoy the vampiric-way of life.

It didn't take Dimitri long to spot Galina and her entourage but unfortunately, he noted, he wasn't the only person out hunting Galina.

He saw the small group, laughing and acting carefree, in the area near the only other exit but he had been around long enough to note the subtle ways they were actually canvassing the place. There were two Dhampirs – a boy and a girl – and two Moroi, both girls. The all looked like they were in their early twenties. He was impressed to see the two Moroi girls didn't appear to be scared or nervous in a place where the Strigoi outnumbered their group. Either these kids were stupidly ignorant of the situation they had put themselves in or were foolishly brave to think they could take on such a large contingent of Strigoi. Guess it was their lucky day that his group were not like the other Strigoi.

One of the Strigoi in Galina's group – who looked eerily familiar to Dimitri – made his way over to the lone Dhampir girl that was dancing in the shadows. Dimitri had been unable to see her face – only her curvaceous body. Something about that faceless girl drew Dimitri's attention and he felt his fists tighten in silent rage when the Strigoi slithered up next to the girl and started dirty dancing with her.

And that is when it all went to hell.

Dimitri had been so focused on the mysterious girl that he hadn't noticed the Dhampir boy had snuck his way over to Galina's group, while the two Moroi girls flanked him in the shadows. At an unspoken signal, the Dhampir boy launched at the nearest Strigoi and staked him before he could even turn around. The smaller of the two Moroi girls stepped forward and created a wall of water, essentially splitting Galina's group in half. The other Moroi girl stood back but seemed to stare intensely at the Strigoi the Dhampir boy was fighting next, suddenly causing them to scream and pull at their face in horror.

"She must have Spirit magic…" whispered Adrian with a look of longing.

Before he had been pulled into the 'Belikov curse', he too had Spirit magic and watching it in offensive action was both bittersweet and fascinating.

Even though Dimitri had planned to capture Galina tonight, he had wanted to be more subtle and strategic. Unfortunately, this no longer appeared to be possible when he saw the other Strigoi jumping into the fight – he and his team could no longer stand back.

It was complete and utter chaos.

The loud music from the front of the club drowned out the grunts and screams of the fight, which was probably why security hadn't arrived sooner. Not that it would have helped since it was mostly made up of humans and there was no way they could have subdued a fight between Strigoi, Dhampir and Moroi.

It was hard to tell how long the fight lasted, but when Dimitri and his team were finally able to stop and assess the room, they were disappointed to note that Galina and her group had made their escape during the confusion of the fight. Dimitri noted the Dhampir boy was trying to help the small Moroi girl, while the taller Moroi girl was frantically trying to crawl towards the Dhampir girl – who was lying face down and clearly unconscious.

Normally Dimitri would have walked away – they were not his problem. But he had seen them fight, especially the Dhampir girl – who had obviously viewed his group as a threat as well even though they had been avoiding them and only engaging Galina's group.

Something deep down pulled him towards the unconscious girl, causing the Moroi girl to freeze and scream for her companions.

"Eddie! Mia!"

Dimitri no longer paid her or the others any attention – he knew his team would have his back. He carefully picked up the Dhampir girl and was finally able to see her face. She was breathtakingly beautiful – even with the bruises and scratches from the battle. Her dark, brown hair felt like silk and something about her warm, soft body caused an unexplainable sensation to run through Dimitri.

For the first time in 500 years Dimitri felt a strange peace fall over his soul.

His mind made up, he carried the girl out of the nightclub – not even caring to see how his team fared with the Dhampir girl's companions.

Whoever this girl was, Dimitri needed to know more about her.

 **A/N = Thank you for being patient. Hope you liked this chapter.**

 **I will try to post as often as is possible, but as you know from my life situation that its difficult to judge how often I can write and update.**

 **Please note from now on the story will be based during 2017 – just different locations (but these will be indicated at the start of chapters).**


	3. Chapter 2

**CHAPTER 2**

 **2 weeks before the 'Red Room' mission**

 **London, UK**

 _Dear Mom,_

 _I can't believe I'm listening to Lissa and starting this stupid journal. It was either this or start therapy – guess what I picked?_

 _It seems a bit childish to write my journal entries like letters to you but I read somewhere that it helps the 'therapeutic process' if you act like you are talking to someone and the first person who came to my mind was you._

 _Plus, it strangely feels 'right' – doing this. Probably because this was our main method of communication, from the time you enrolled me in the academy at the age of 4 until you died when I was 10._

 _I do wish we had spent more time together and that I could have had the same relationship with you as I do with baba, but I know that being a Guardian was far more important to you than being a mother or wife. Back then I hated you for putting your career before us – but now, since I became a Guardian myself, I kind of understand where you were coming from._

 _Even before graduation I had committed my life to protecting and guarding Lissa. Our relationship may have started as best friends but its evolved to so much more. Things also became a bit complicated when she chose to save me – instead of her family – in the car accident that occurred on our way back from the dinner her parents had organised for her 15_ _th_ _birthday. So now, not only do I have to live the rest of my life with the knowledge that she picked me over her own family, but I have to accept the fact that my soul is bound to hers – for better or worse, till death do us apart!_

 _I also have the fun task of dealing with the side-effects of her powers, being pulled into her head during some seriously awkward moments and experiencing her emotions & physical pain like they were my own. I guess it's a small price to pay – since I literally owe her my life – and when I finally recognised that this was the way things were going to be, I promised myself that I would dedicate the rest of my existence to her and her alone._

 _You know better than anyone that my childhood may not have been the 'traditional familial' experience but looking back at it now, I have no regrets._

 _You may not have been the epitome of motherhood but you were always a letter or phone call away. And baba made double the effort in hugs, praise and gifts to ensure I felt loved and wanted. Then there was my 'academy family' – my 'surrogate mother' Alberta, my 'sister' Lissa and my two 'brothers' Eddie and Mason._

 _Mason._

 _Not a day goes by that I don't miss him._

 _You always warned me that fighting Strigoi in real life was a very different experience to what we are taught at the academy and I wish I had heeded your advice. Graduating first in my year had made me cocky and I thought I could hold my own if I ever came across these evil creatures._

 _Boy, was I wrong…_

 _A simple late-night shopping trip with Lissa and Mia – our arch-nemesis now good friend – turned into our worst nightmare. We had been captured by a very organised group of Strigoi, who seemed to be on some crazy mission to eradicate or turn certain Royal Moroi. They took turns on using me and Mia as 'feed-bags' – leaving Lissa alone so she could decide whether she wanted to die or join their ranks._

 _Thankfully, Lissa had learned how to dream-walk – a Spirit ability – and the moment she could, she 'contacted' Mason and Eddie. Even though they were recent graduates, Alberta and Hans ordered them to remain at the academy while they put together the rescue mission. To this day I'm not sure what went through their heads, but they decided to go against their direct orders and set-out before the rescue team to see if they could reach and help us sooner._

 _It had worked to a certain extent – they had rescued us – and as we stumbled out, Mason needing to carry me slightly due to blood loss and lack of food, our captors appeared along with their mysterious leader, Galina._

 _The name Galina struck fear in the most seasoned of Guardians and from what baba finally told me at graduation – in relation to the details surrounding your death – you experienced firsthand why she was considered a legend._

 _But back to our 'unplanned rescue'…Mason and I were separated from the others, who had thankfully made it into the welcoming sunlight. Even though Mason was 2_ _nd_ _best in our year, he was no match for these monsters and it didn't take much effort from Galina to snap his neck. Seeing someone, who I loved as a brother all my life – well something snapped in me and in a haze of bloodlust & rage I grabbed Mason's abandoned stake and became a killing machine. _

_Lissa theorised that some of my 'out of control' behaviour was from her darkness – she had to use her powers to heal Mia – but I know it was seeing someone I loved die in a blink of an eye. Much to my annoyance, Galina escaped with minor injuries and it was on that day I vowed to kill her – not only for Mason but for you._

 _When I promised myself to seek out vengeance, a part of me knew it wouldn't be possible because of my other promise to always be there for Lissa, but big-mouth Eddie let it slip to both Lissa and Mia what I desired and so instead of enrolling in Leigh – as they had originally planned – they decided to join my mission, with Lissa insisting it was a favourable compromise, since I could now pursue my goals while looking after her._

 _That was 3 years ago and much to my frustration, searching for Galina has felt like a fool's errand. It hasn't been easy – going from one country to another, only to meet a dead-end and then start all over again. At times I wondered if my friends and I were being delusional – this Strigoi had alluded our Guardians, some far more legendary than us Hathaways, for centuries. It would take no less than a miracle for our crazy band of misfits to locate her._

 _And the miracle came from a very unlikely source – Lissa's adoptive uncle, Victor Dashkov._

 _His daughter, Natalie, reached out to baba to invite us all to Victor's 60_ _th_ _birthday bash. Normally I would have politely declined, but I knew Lissa would want to attend – seeing as Victor had stepped up to look after her family estate after their passing since she had been underage and residing at the academy. I knew she felt like she owed him for all those years he helped her, so she lovingly asked us all to take a 'break' from our mission to attend her dear uncle's birthday._

 _We arrived two days ago and after a brief shopping trip and polite pleasantries, Lissa let it slip why she had deferred college and was now seen as endlessly travelling around the globe._

 _It had annoyed me initially, as well… we were supposed to keep the mission a secret – only person outside our group who knew was baba. As you can imagine, since our mission wasn't exactly sanctioned by Court, if Hans or the Queen ever found out, they could try and pull the plug – deeming it too dangerous, especially since the last Dragomir was involved. But her Victor had been surprisingly understanding and willing to help and just this morning gave us some amazing news._

 _Galina was in Sydney, Australia._

 _How he came about the information he didn't divulge but he promised his source was credible. He also promised to find out more details about her whereabouts, but for the first time in a long time I feel hope._

 _I feel like I'm one step closer to achieving my destiny._

 _One step closer to fulfilling my mission._

 _And one step closer to finally getting you and Mason the peace you both deserve._

 _I love you mom and miss you every day._

 _Rose_

 _PS. Unfortunately we have to wait a week before we can travel to Sydney, but hopefully the next time I write, it will be with some good news!_

Rose released a long sigh and cracked her knuckles before she tapped 'save' and password protected her journal entry on her phone. Lissa had proposed she do it 'old-school' in a physical journal, but with all the travelling they did, Rose didn't want another thing she needed to carry. So, she decided to do things reflective of current times and keep an electronic journal that would be saved in a 'Cloud' and accessible from anywhere via her phone or a computer.

Just as she got up to make her way to the shower, a soft knock interrupted her course of action. Opening the door to reveal an excitable Lissa, who held two dress garments in her hands, Rose opened the door further to let her crazy companion in.

"You still haven't showered yet!? Come on, we don't have long before the party starts. And we still have hair and make-up to do…Thank God I helped Mia already, otherwise we would be late!"

Rose rolled her eyes at Lissa's theatrics. It was a freaking party – not some serious mission or conference – if they were a few minutes late, it wouldn't be the end of the world!

Thankfully, that wasn't the case and the foursome entered the large ballroom to find it was already filled with a mixed bunch of Moroi and Dhampir – from all walks of life.

Victor Dashkov was an enigma – named after a great, great, great, great uncle who had mysteriously disappeared in the 15th Century. Not much was known about his early life – except that his parents died when he was young, which forced him to be home schooled whilst in the care of some mysterious caregiver no one had ever seen. He suddenly came into the Moroi limelight when the last Dashkov died in a freak accident at an exclusive resort in Idaho.

He was located in the records and the Queen ordered him to appear before Court to take his rightful place as the 'Prince' of his family line. Since then, he had spent the last 20 years fighting for rights for all Dhampirs and non-royal Moroi, along with changing the way the vampire world interacted with humans.

But as far as Rose and Lissa were concerned, he was a gentle, kind surrogate 'uncle' who always gave them pieces of toffee whenever he saw them (no matter how old they were) and always seemed to fuss about their wellbeing and lives.

Rose watched helplessly as servers walked by with trays filled with strange looking fancy food – she had forgone lunch for some training and now was paying the price. Before she could swallow her nerves and grab the nearest unidentified food item, Eddie caught her attention and motioned towards the far wall.

She could have kissed him if he were standing closer.

At the far end of the hall a buffet was set-up and she could see most if not all of the Dhampirs (who were in attendance as guests) lined up to grab food. Clearly that was where she needed to be.

Giving Lissa a quick look, Rose practically ran to the line, slyly pushing in to where Eddie was already standing in the queue. Thankfully the other Dhampirs found her behaviour amusing – most knew of her as the late Janine Hathaways temperamental daughter, with only a select few knowing that she was also Zmey's progeny.

With a plate piled high with deep fried and greasy food, Rose and Eddie made their way to the nearest unattended table. They became so engrossed in shuffling down the food that they hadn't noticed the silence that had suddenly fallen over the room. Nor did they notice the awe-struck expression on Mia's face or how flustered Lissa was as they join them at the table. It was Lissa's bony elbow that finally got Rose's attention and when she looked up, she wished she hadn't.

Jesse Zeklos and his sleazy side-kick Ralph Sarcozy had just entered the room, and it seemed all the single ladies (and even some married ones) became enthralled by the Zeklos lord. Rose had the misfortune of being in the same year as the self-centred asshat – who had made it his personal mission to get into her pants since she appeared to be the only female in the academy who didn't seem to fall over herself to be in his presence.

Jesse knew he was handsome and came from a wealthy & influential family – right after the Ivashkovs. He'd had his fair share of girls since hitting puberty, but when girls – both Dhampir and Moroi – were willingly throwing themselves at you, things became mundane. That was until he came across Rose Hathaway and her rejection, and for the very first time in his life, Jesse felt challenged and so the chase was on to win the feisty Dhampir's heart (or at least go a round or two in bed).

The more she fought off his advances, the more determined and obsessed he became, which was why when his eyes locked onto her dark, brown orbs, he made his way directly towards her table like a hawk swooping down on its prey.

Rose felt nauseous – she did not need this right now. Looking around frantically for an escape route she spotted the dance floor on the opposite side of the ballroom with a convenient double door exit back into the main part of the house. Grabbing Eddie's arm, she pulled him towards the dance floor, ignoring his protests of not letting him finish his food. Mia and Lissa were too mesmerised by Jesse's approach to have noticed Rose's haste exit, but Jesse's eyes narrowed in irritation as he stopped mid-stride and watched as his 'prize' yet again walked away from him.

He was getting real tired with her constant rebuff.

"Are you gonna go after her?" Ralf whispered from behind.

A sly smirk appeared on Jesse's face as he watched Abe, Rose's father, cut in while she pulled a reluctant Eddie across the dance floor. Rose seemed to finally relax and even gave a small chuckle at whatever her father whispered in her ear.

"No Ralf, I think for once I won't go after her…I think I have finally found a way to make Rose come to me…"

 **A/N = A bit of a background chapter to introduce Rose and her story. We will get back to Romitri and co next chapter.**

 **So, any guesses on who do you think Jesse and Ralf are (in relation to BntB)?**


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